


With open arms

by Mallior



Series: Tony Stark's collection of stray superheroes - Limited Edition [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, M/M, Maybe fluff, Post-Movie, Steve/Tony if you squint, Unbeta'ed, horribly OOC, maybe..., ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 01:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mallior/pseuds/Mallior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Really Captain, it's three in the morning, the weather is ugly, not the best time to camping outside.” A pair of oil-stained jeans and shoes stepped into his field of view, followed by a similarly oil-stained hand. “Come on, inside.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	With open arms

**Author's Note:**

> The title from the Journey song, I'm not even sorry. The fic is unbeta'ed and English isn't my first language.  
> Recommended music: Globus – Orchard of Mines

He did not know how long he sat there, leaning against the building's wall, staring vaguely at the rain-soaked city around him. Did not had an idea how he got there... This building... “Come inside before the guards calls the cops.” said the familiar voice, startling him out the neon and rain fogged haze – Stark...  
“Really Captain, it's three in the morning, the weather is ugly, not the best time to camping outside.” A pair of oil-stained jeans and shoes stepped into his field of view, followed by a similarly oil-stained hand. “Come on, inside.”  
  
Carefully accepted the hand, shivering when the billionaire warm palm touched his chilled one. It wasn't this cold a moment ago... He got up without a word from the wet concrete, and walked inside after Stark. Steve heard as Tony talked to one of the guards, but after a heartbeat they stopped inside the lift. His eyes never left the black t-shirt clad shoulders, the only solid thing right now, didn't heard Tony's voice.   
  
 “Captain, we arrived, don't sleep on your feet.” The warm hand touched his upper arm, dragging him out the lift, into the penthouse. “You need a hot shower, but it's a mystery where will I find clothes for you, but hey! I'll find something! After that... Steve? Steve! Captain Rogers!”  
  
 Steve winced at the name. “Steve, did you even heard what I said? When was the last time you slept?” He hesitantly looked at Tony's face, who disapprovingly frowned at him.  
“I... I don't know... maybe two or three days ago...” he answered quietly. “But I don't want to disturb you just got lost and... and this was the only building I recognized... Maybe it would be...”  
  
“Okay, shower? It's a good idea, a really good one.” Tony interrupted him. “Don't even try to finish that sentence. It's just me and the two night guards here, you're disturbing nobody. Just no camping in front of the main entrance. So go, shower, shoo.” Stark waved his hand to his left, to a short corridor. “The second door on your right is the bathroom, use the bathrobe, maybe the pizza will arrive when you're finished. Shoo, stop dripping in the middle of the living room.”  
  
Steve hesitated for a moment, then just nodded and walked out of the room.  
  
  
******  
  
Tony sat down onto the couch with a heavy sigh.   
“Jarvis, two pepperoni pizzas.”  
“Ordered, sir.” answered the AI. “Approximately thirty minutes until arriving.”  
“Good. Oh, search for films between 1935 and 1940, but no war themed ones.”  
“I recommend Captains Courageous or The Prince and the Pauper, both from 1937.”  
“Okay, The Prince and the Pauper, at least I have some vague idea what's the story of that. And I don't want to move, but I need to wash my hands... And maybe make some tea. Jarvis, do we have any tea?”  
“Yes sir, there is a box of Earl Grey in the cupboard next to the window.”  
“Great, I have no idea what it's doing there or how it got there, but great!” with that, Tony got up and walked into the kitchen.  
  
  
Twenty minutes later Steve stepped into the living room, wrapped into the soft, dark blue bathrobe, finding Tony sitting on the leather couch.  
 “Hey, do you feel better?” asked Stark as he handed him a mug. “Hot tea, drink it. I know in theory you can't catch cold, but I really don't want to listen Fury's rant, because I broke Captain America.”  
“Thank you.” Steve nodded as the take mug, sitting in the far corner of the couch.  
“The pizza will arrive soon, maybe we can start a film. The Prince and the Pauper. Have you seen it? It's the 1937 version... Steve? Are you listening at all? Steve! Something wrong?” But the soldier just stared blankly into space. “Steve?”  
“Huh?” Rogers looked up.  
“Skip the movie? There is a guest room if you want to sleep...”  
“No! No... I don't want to sleep...” Steve shook his head.  
“Okay...”  
“I... I just don't want to be alone. I thought, if go for a walk, it'll be better, but no. It got worse. And after that, I got lost. Everything has changed... The streets, the buildings... The Stark Tower was the only familiar thing, so walked until I got here. I didn't want to disturb anyone, just wanted to wait until sunrise... just... didn't wanted to be alone...” The last few words were so quiet, they almost got lost in the silence of the room. Tony hesitated for a few moments, but got up, and knelt in front of Steve. His heart ached for Steve, he knew so well the feeling of being isolated... Being an island in a huge city, full of people...  
  
 “You don't need to be alone. I'm here, and if everything is working all right, tomorrow Bruce will be back from that conference in London. Then, I'll start my project, and you'll be never alone. Neither of us will be alone... Do you hear me? You have a team, and Fury likes it or not, all of you will live in the Tower. I have the blueprints, and after the majority of the renovations are finished, we'll start. Steve? Steve... Look at me, please. Hey...” he carefully pried the still warm mug of tea out of the captain's trembling hands and put in on the table nearby. Then ignoring his protesting knees, he moved closer and pulled the soldier into a hug. “It's all right. You're not alone...” Tony murmured into the soft dark blue fabric. Steve's arms wrapped around his shoulders, strong fingers gripped the back of his t-shirt.  
  
“Everything is all right Steve, you're home.”  
  
  
  
~END~


End file.
